Ben Curry opened the scored following a lovely chip-kick from Mike Haley allowed the teenager to find space and go over for the visitors.

Referee Luke Pearce then awards the home side a penalty-try and sent Curry to the sin bin for collapsing the maul.

But the Sharks regained the advantage as the visitors worked the phases to create the extra man out wide, allowing Mark Jennings to score.

An incisive Tigers attack then caused the Sale defence to be out of position allowing Ellis Genge to go under the posts.

But the visitors went in at the break ahead after Marland Yarde, who started and finished a crisp move to cap off his first start with a try.

An early Tigers penalty from Ford put the home side ahead, but Sale got their bonus point with their fourth try of the afternoon when Jono Ross powered over after more good phase work from the Sharks, deep in the Tigers half.

The Tigers edged in front inside the final 15 minutes as Ford’s kick to the wing eluded Yarde to find the hands of Gareth Owen who fought over the line for the try, with the conversion added by Ford.

After Yarde was shown the yellow card for a series of high tackles, the Tigers went in search of their bonus point try and got there thanks to Nick Malouf’s late burst in the corner to settle the score in the home side’s favour.

In an eight-try thriller, second-half scores from Gareth Owen and Nick Malouf ensured the Tigers secured the bonus point victory after the Sharks had led at the break

Faultless with the boot all day, Burns kicked 17 points for Bath in a 22-18 win after playing a similarly pivotal role in their 26-22 triumph in the Anglo-Welsh Cup there on November 4.

Irish were first on the board through the boot of Tommy Bell, who slotted an early penalty after Bath were pulled up for offside.

But Todd Blackadder’s side hit back quickly, the charging bulk of Matt Banahan powering through a few moments later for the game’s first try after good work by Aled Brew and Paul Grant, Burns slotting the conversion.

James Marshall dotted down soon after for the home side cut the gap to 10-8 as Irish rallied.

Burns, capped ten times for England, then landed a drop goal after 23 minutes for another three points, before power was added to precision moments later when he sent a penalty sailing through the posts from near halfway.

Irish hit back and thought they had sliced the lead when Blair Cowan crossed, but this was ruled out by the officials.

But the hosts did strike a blow just before half-time through another Bell penalty as the sides went into half-time at 11-16.

A tricky kick from the touchline ten minutes after half-time was another test for Burns, but he sent it through with the minimum of fuss once more as Bath stretched their advantage.

The game got scrappier, playing into the visitors’ hands, with Burns adding another three-pointer midway through the second period to cement an 11-point lead.

Irish valiantly kept hammering away at the Bath backline, and replacement Scott Steele crashed over with five minutes to go to ensure a frantic finale, Greig Tonks on hand with the extras.

Irish relentlessly poured forward in search of a winning score and nearly had it in the final seconds, but Ollie Hoskins was held up just short of the line.